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Monday, July 24, 2017

Our Family's Frugal Accomplishments This Past Week

My husband's frugal project this week.

It's been some time since I did a weekly frugal accomplishment round up, but I've been missing those. For those new here, it's when throughout the week I tally up the various frugal things I did, and then share them with you at the end of the week. Sometimes I do more frugal things, and sometimes less. Sometimes I look back and say "Wow, I really had a very unfrugal week"- that happened this week, I'll admit- and then when I write up the post I get reminded that, despite thinking I flubbed frugally (and I'm not saying that never happens, or that I didn't do anything unfrugal this week), I still did things to save money that are worthy of acknowledgment, even if they are small.

So here they are- the various frugal things my husband and I did that saved money over the past week.

Frugal Shopping:

I went to the scratch and dent store, to see whether or not they had any foods that I'd use that would save me money (and time too, if I could)- things that would replace what I already buy at more expensive prices. While I was there the previous time I saw gluten free pasta being sold for 20% cheaper than at my local cheap grocery store, but I didn't buy it then. When I went back this past week I found some being sold 50% of their typical price, so stocked up and bought a lot. Pasta is still more expensive than rice and other gluten free grains, but I do buy it on occasion, so I'm going to try to be cognizant of that fact and not use pasta more often just because I have it at home, but rather, just use it as often as I would have otherwise and "shop" in my pantry instead of at the store for those times. I also bought gluten free cookies, three packages at 95 cents a package, an amazing price for store bought cookies period locally, let alone gluten free, so I bought these to be eaten for special occasions, which ends up saving me time and money. I bought a few cans of coconut milk for 50% of their regular price. Yes I can make it myself cheaper, but this is time saving...

When I was already in the area, I went to a branch of a frugal grocery store and stocked up on many packages of gluten free bread that is sold very cheaply, to be used as a convenient and frugal "fast food". I bought cheese there cheaply as well and stocked up.

I bought jaggery, basically the cheapest non refined sweetener I can buy.

Free Things

My husband doesn't understand why I am writing what free things I got on my blog- 'How is getting free things a frugal accomplishment?' he asks me. The reason I share what free things I got is that even if the free things I get are not applicable to you, hopefully it'll inspire you to utilize the free things that are options where you live and not feel ashamed about it. Also getting your name out there as someone who appreciates/doesn't mind free things often makes you end up being the recipient of free things that you might have otherwise not have gotten.

A fraction of the free produce we got this week...

My husband has been working at a summer camp these past few weeks, and at the end of the day, they have a lot of food left over that was meant for snacks and meals. What people don't take would get thrown out. This past week alone he literally came home with at least 10 shopping bags of produce- apples, nectarines, bell peppers (green, yellow, and orange), cucumbers, tomatoes, lots of bread, hard boiled eggs, tuna salad, containers of cooked rice and cooked peas. It's been pretty awesome and covered nearly all our produce needs, plus more. (If this seems like something that just he was lucky enough to get, I know people who's kids' after school programs get catered meals and much of it doesn't get eaten- some packages never even opened- and they are happy to give any excess to anyone who asks. So if your kids are in such programs or you know of some near you, it doesn't hurt to ask.)

I foraged lambsquarters and purslane.

Mike brought home some free wooden pallets to use for building projects.

Frugal Cooking

I cooked jaggery into jaggery syrup.

I had some hard cheese that, honestly, had been sitting in my fridge for a few months and needed to get used up. (Hard cheese can last a while.) I also had some other hard cheese sitting in my freezer for a while that I got free. I used that together with coconut milk and pasta from the scratch and dent store, plus foraged lambsquarters, and made a delicious mac and cheese that didn't bother my stomach.

Sorry, not the most photogenic picture. Oh well. Was still yummy.

I made homemade bread.

I had some leftover sauces and condiments in my fridge and used them as way to season baked chicken.

Frugal DIY

Rose has sandals that are perfect, other than the fact that the velcro separated from the strap, making it impossible to close. I sewed the velcro back on to the strap, and once again her sandals work perfectly. And it took very little time.

Mike used some pallet wood and hooks he had around the house to make a towel rack at the kids' height in the bathroom.

Frugal Fun

I took the kids to a fun, free water play area in the city. Lots of fun, zero costs. Win-win.

Other

There's a photography tool that I really have wanted for a while, as it would help improve my food photography a lot (a collapsible light box), and then saw an ad for it on sale, with only 5 left. I literally was one click away from ordering, and then remembered that lots of times these things can be found cheaper on aliexpress, and it even is the same exact item... and what do you know- I did find it. For 1/5 of the "sale price" I saw originally. So I'm not sure this counts as a frugal accomplishment or rather stopping a frugal flub, but either way, it's going on this list.

What frugal things did you accomplish this past week? Any frugal things you wish you were able to do this week that you want to try to do this coming week?

Getting things for free is the ultimate frugal accomplishment in my book! Usually, to get stuff free you have to have a frugal mindset of being on the look-out for free stuff. Your mind needs to be open to the possibilities of what you can do with something or how you can repair it. Many people see an apple with a big bruise on it as trash. I look at it as half an apple. You also have to be willing to actually take the found resource. Is that pallet sitting with a bunch of trash? You have to be willing to be a trash picker. Frugal accomplishments come in a lot of different forms.

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Hello there! I'm Penny, author of Penniless Foodie in the Wild, an adaptable cookbook for frugal people like myself who like to eat great food. I'm a mom of four who loves to blog about how to have the best life possible while living on a relatively low income. We're a "crunchy", gluten-free family, homeschooling, homebirthing, autism, natural parenting family.I'm always happy to receive emails from readers at pennilessparenting@yahoo.com.

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